Walking during lunch . . . before or after you eat?

ADM1979

A group of us girls walk during our lunch breaks. Is it better to eat then walk or walk then eat?

jojophet

Pulled this from Fitness.com article for you.

"What is the best way to use your lunchtime? First of all, it is critical to take time in the morning to have a healthy breakfast with plenty of protein. Whether you have a high stress job or not, when lunch time comes, take five minutes to calm your mind and body before eating. Just five minutes for a few deep breaths and a temporary release of stress. Then, unless there is a cafeteria or a restaurant that is very close to where you are, you should bring your food to work. This enables you to control what you eat. Focus on your meal while completely releasing work, problems or anything stressful. Trust me, those things will be there waiting for you when you come back, so for now you can just let them go. When you are done, going for a pleasant walk is the single most important thing you can do after any meal.

Going for a walk will help burn up some of the sugar in your blood stream and prevent it from being converted into fat. Converting some blood sugar into fat is a natural process that occurs after every meal. If you eat healthy foods and avoid excessive snacking between your meals, that fat will naturally be utilized for energy once your liver glycogen storages are depleted. However, even a brief, slow paced walk will accelerate that process because exercise puts your body into "fat burning mode" and will use up some of the glycogen stored in your muscles. You will do exactly the opposite what you have been doing the entire morning (and will most likely do for the whole afternoon) because you will get your body moving and blood flowing. When you are sitting down and working, you are stimulating your mind but keeping your body sedentary. When you go for a walk you will gently stimulate your body while simultaneously relaxing your mind. And that's exactly what you want your break time to be about: relaxation and balance.

It is not necessary to take a "brisk" walk in order to reap the benefits of exercise. You should walk at a pace that feels enjoyable to you. Your body will tell you how much it wants at a time. If you feel the urge to go a little faster, go for it, but never force yourself to go faster if you don't feel like it. "

ADM1979

Thank you so much for the article. That is exactly what I needed to hear. I am a diabetic so I know the importance of walking, but I never really understood when it was best.

Thank you!

jojophet

Your welcome!!!

Happy Walking!!!